Curated Recommendations Seeking the Same Brilliance as The Woman in...

Dir: Paul Hurst

An old chief of the peaceful tribe of Arapahoes tells a tale of a friend of his youth who was a scout with the famous Seventh Cavalry in Wyoming. A pioneer bound for California with his daughter was attacked by a white renegade and his Indian allies. The "Man Who Smiled" used the strategy of his race and helped to rescue the travelers. He was shot but still smiled and did not give up until the girl was restored to her lover, the First Lieutenant of the Seventh. An interesting story of friendship between Indian and white man in the early days of the West.

Dir: Paul Hurst

Episode 1: "The Lumber Pirates" "Dollar" Holmes, so called because of his greed for money and power, is a small timberland owner in a region where both the trust and a tribe of Klamath Indians hold similar lands. He is under contract to the combine to deliver to it 10,000,000 feet of timber by a specified date. It is a rich deal. His wife is about to become a mother, and Holmes has set his heart fiercely on a boy to inherit the fortune he means to pile up. A forest fire sweeps away half of Holmes' standing timber. Greer, president of the trust, learning of this, writes a sneering letter hinting at Holmes' ruin unless he fulfills his contract on time. This he cannot do unless he obtains possession of the Indian lands adjoining his. Sleepy Dog, chief of the tribe, refuses to sell. Holmes' wife gives birth to a daughter, and he in a wild rage of double disappointment curses her and the babe, and rushes out of the cabin into the deep woods. He comes upon Dill, a bootlegger, surreptitiously selling whiskey to his loggers. Holmes promises to forebear punishing him if he will go into the Indian camp, from which Sleepy Dog is absent on a trip, and sell his stuff to the savages. The Klamaths are made drunk, and when they demand more whiskey Holmes offers them $100 apiece if they will deed their timber lands to him. They do so, and Holmes wires Greer that he will fulfill his contract; also that with acquisition of the Indian lands he has obtained exclusive right to use of the region's one river for log-floating purposes, thus cutting off the trust's lands from the market. The trust capitulates and accepts Holmes' terms, by which he is given a heavy interest in the combine and made a director. Sleepy Dog returns. Holmes quarrels with him, murders him and throws his body over a cliff. The crime is witnessed by Holmes' wife, a fact which he discovers. In terror of her life, the woman flees the cabin, carrying her infant in her arms. In trying to reach the farther bank of the river over a jam of logs she is hurled into the stream when a blast of dynamite blows up the king-log, and is whirled away in the current, clinging to a log and holding the babe in her arms.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of A Lass of the Lumberlands perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Paul Hurst

The Tribe of the Mandans was practically obliterated through smallpox and the survivors swore eternal vengeance on the white men, whom they believed to be the cause of the plague. This picture deals with the last of the Mandans who planned his revenge but was thwarted.

Dir: Paul Hurst

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Mandan's Oath perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Paul Hurst

Returning from a conference with the White Men in Washington, the Medicine Man of the Arapahoe brings with him two hats, the hat worn by the white men in war and a top hat, which he and the Indians believe to have wonderful powers. While the Medicine Man is displaying his possessions, his daughter accidentally shoots an arrow through the top hat, and he promises her to the first man who asks for her. The Weasel speaks first and in spite of her protest, she is given to him. But her lover threatens the Weasel and he agrees to give her up. Her father refuses to take back his word, but the girl proves that the Weasel is a thief and the lover mends the top hat, so he takes back his word and the girl and her lover are united.

Dir: Paul Hurst

A young man has a chance to become partners in an auto-repair business, but he doesn't have the money. In order to come up with some quick cash, he decides to temporarily become a professional boxer. The problem is that he isn't an athlete, knows nothing about boxing and stands a very good chance of getting the stuffing beaten out of him.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of A Western Engagement perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Paul Hurst

An Indian woman relates the story of her son who was a half-breed. He is beaten and tormented by everyone but a white girl who loves a trader. She is betrayed by the trader, and when her small brother discovers her trouble he tells the half-breed. The girl kills herself, but the trader accuses the half-breed. With everyone attacking him, he makes his way to the trader, avenges the girl and dies.

Dir: Paul Hurst

A miner has struck it rich and gives some ore to cowhand Jess Dean to take to his granddaughter. But Horse Williams has the miner shot and uses the ore found on Jess to accuse him of the murder. Jess escapes from the mob of townspeople who later learn that the body of the supposedly dead miner has mysteriously disappeared.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Medicine Hat perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Paul Hurst

Terry Baldwin inherits a ranch under the stipulation that he finds the ghost that haunts it.

Dir: Paul Hurst

A young racing driver combines best features of two rival cars, thus producing an automobile which is the best entry in a 100-mile cross-country race. He triumphs over other contestants and wins the girl of his heart.